This is a discussion on frankmehtaŽ acquires a Locomotive: Chevrolet Cruze LTZ Automatic. EDIT: Now sold within Test-Drives & Initial Ownership Reports, part of the Team-BHP Reviews category; Originally Posted by iliketurtles
Congrats on the Cruze, it's a true-blue diesel rocket.
I completely agree that the Cruze represents ...

I completely agree that the Cruze represents huge value in the used car market. It really is hilariously cheap. I thought about going with the Cruze when I was evaluating cars this year, and only passed up on the Cruze because I felt it had aged too much vis-a-vis the competition.

I remember a friend of mine saying his Cruze Auto gave him no more than 8 KMPL in Mumbai city traffic and when I told him that's terrible, he just shrugged and said what else can you expect of a 2 liter monster putting out 150 horses? He had a fair point, so just forget about mileage. Don't get caught up with it, this is not a car you drive out to be at the pump.

It really goes like a bat out of hell from what I remember of it, but I do wonder why you went for a RD Box instead of a remap. Any particular reason for that?

Congrats again, how you fall in love every time you press that starter button. Enjoy.

The Rd dualtronic box is a plug and play unit and I believe that it's better to use the piggyback ecu initially than to mess with the factory ecu so early into owning this car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simple_car

Congrats on the car doc.

Your review certainly reeks of enthusiasm, and is a very biased review. I am giving it a five stars

At the end of the day, love for the car matters a lot more than anything.

I am going to ask you to think about a few points:

1.

I am assuming that you are new to the automatics. One of the reasons why your cruze has a perceived 'zero lag' is due to this very transmission. If this car was equipped with a DSG, you would have worded your review very differently. Torque converter transmissions are the best suited for Indian traffic.

2. The RD box:
- I am into engine remaps, so I am a bit biased, but I would persuade you to really think about remaps in the future. Cruze is best suited for a remap.

I would like to add more, but I love the cruze as well, so I am stopping right here for the moment.

Congrats on the car and wish you many happy and peaceful miles!

Thanks,
Simple_car

Thanks for that insight on automatics. I actually learned of this when I was casually perusing the Skoda Rapid DSG tdi thread. I understand that it's the 'torque multiplication' that helps in eliminating lag.

Quote:

Originally Posted by F150

Dear Frank,
You just seem to find, in fact search for reasons to change your car. I always loved the Cruze for its looks. Fantastic purchase.

Remember those old days when you installed a CAR PC in your Fiesta for the need of a pure audio experience ?

But your standard seems to have fallen these days, I am disappointed to see the crude tuning box instead of a remap.

A remap could be on the cards after a few months into using this car and getting used to her every tantrum and nuance. I'm most excited to do a free flowing filter, performance exhaust and remap together to feel the compounded effect of the three things together!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDe

Congrats Frank for the wonderful choice of car. I can definitely relate to all the adjectives that you have added. Highways are the home for Cruze and it always brings a smile to your face when you start crunching miles on the highway with super ease.

Could you provide some more details on the head unit that you have installed? The installation procedure and the changes required to set it up.

Wishing you a safe drive for years to come!

It's a Connects2 dash kit that comes with it's own steering remote interface and fits into the slot left by the stock head unit. It's a plug and play thing, but you're better off having it installed at an experienced workshop.

Congratulations on acquiring that beautiful beast. I owned a 2010 (Nov) make Cruze MT. Sold it just a couple of months ago with a heavy heart as I was relocating to another country. Only one good thing about selling it was I got a decent price (9.4L) which I guess is more than the average market price for 2010 models. I guess the buyer was ready to shell out more money as the car was in mint condition with no scratches, squeaks/rattles. I dont think Cruze develops any rattles, squeaks easily.

Wish you many happy miles on the Locomotive. Once in a while roll down the window to listen to the roar. Oh! I really miss that turbo whistle!!

An absolutely delightful read sir , loved every minute and line of it , the many references to marriages and wives hit home!!

I was in a similar position last year , my boss who had a 2011 Cruze was keen on selling it off to buy an Innova and i had already spent many hours with him in that car going for meetings and so on - i know the power which that car has and he has a heavy foot as well so being in that car was an absolute delight. I was getting about 25% off roughly on what a new car would have cost and while that was affordable unfortunately i could not overlook my perception of the low quality interiors that the car had , especially at the back. The cockpit is a fantastic place to be in but the rest of the car did not impress me much and by this time i suppose the other reason was that i was head over heels with the Fiat T-Jet as well.

Congratulations on the only affordable true muscle car in India. True because she has her quirks, as she should in keeping with American muscle cars. I've driven my BiL's 2013 manual LTZ which is also chipped, and the acceleration is scary for anyone unused to that much torque in India. Wonderfully refined, gem of an engine.

He (my BiL) has upgraded to 225 section tyres, and the steering is pretty well weighted at low speeds too, and the cornering and braking abilities are just phenomenal. We drove from Ooty to Wyanad over some beautifully laid surfaces interspersed by washed away sections, and the suspension behaved beautifully. The best part is that she behaves the same (ride and performance) regardless of the load. Full up with four adults, two kids and luggage was the same as two adults and no luggage. I hate being a passenger in P2 cos it is almost unbelievable how quickly the car accelerates into gaps and changes lanes, and certain death becomes just a quick lane change maneuvre.

Congratulations again. With some jealousy, because my drives are quite occasional, while you own the rocket

It seems you have written my story, as I am in a similar dilemma after driving Cruze. I own a Swift LXi and in Aug I took my brother in law's Cruze for a trip to Amritsar. All was fine until the day I returned it back to him (after 4 days of driving) and sat in my Swift ........ You cannot imagine how I felt after. The car which I took care of for 5 years and loved so much suddenly looked like a broken cycle. It's seat, it's clutch, the manual windows, suspension, steering, drive, engine etc. etc. I started hating them all. I just didn't felt like driving it for office. It took me 25- 30 days to come out of CRUZE's hangover and accept that I have to drive this Maruti make every day to office.
I cannot buy a new Cruze but now I am also looking for a second hand Cruze (Vento is second choice) and would buy one as soon as I get something of my choice.

Surprisingly.....another similarity between your situation and mine is
a) I also started thinking about Tata Zest but then dropped the idea due to Tata
b) Thought about Honda Diesel but my wife stopped me because we both do not like the shape of it.

I hope that after all these similarities I hope that it also ends like yours and hope to end up buy a Cruze like yours.

Last edited by Rudra Sen : 20th October 2014 at 06:46.
Reason: Not your mistake but merging as they're back to back

Thanks for that insight on automatics. I actually learned of this when I was casually perusing the Skoda Rapid DSG tdi thread. I understand that it's the 'torque multiplication' that helps in eliminating lag.
.

Although I am a little late I would still congratulate you on buying the Cruze. A wise choice indeed.

I have a question. My uncle drives the 2010 City AT and his usage has gone up in the past months with more city driving in bumper to bumper traffic. He wants a upgrade to a car with a diesel motor and it has to be AT.

My uncle is 50+ and has always praised the city due to its light steering, easy manoeuvrability and effort-less drive. Do you think I should suggest him the cruze? He wants something with a light steering, which easy to drive (never gives his car to the driver, 100% selfdrive) and to park in tight spots.

Hi Frank ,
I hope that after all these similarities I hope that it also ends like yours and hope to end up buy a Cruze like yours.

Inshallah!! May God give you the strength to buy a BMW or an Audi and not just a Cruze :-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Y@SH

Although I am a little late I would still congratulate you on buying the Cruze. A wise choice indeed.

I have a question. My uncle drives the 2010 City AT and his usage has gone up in the past months with more city driving in bumper to bumper traffic. He wants a upgrade to a car with a diesel motor and it has to be AT.

My uncle is 50+ and has always praised the city due to its light steering, easy manoeuvrability and effort-less drive. Do you think I should suggest him the cruze? He wants something with a light steering, which easy to drive (never gives his car to the driver, 100% selfdrive) and to park in tight spots.

Your uncle's requirements have HYUNDAI written all over them! If he's not doing much city driving, ask him to buy a Verna Diesel AT. It's light, easy to drive and easy to park. Suspension is also tuned for the city. Couple it with the ease of access and no-nonsense service experience, and you have a car tailored for 50+ people.
Honestly, if his running is below 50 km a day, the Xcent Petrol Auto would be the ULTIMATE.

That is, if he's keen on stepping out of the Honda outfit. Honda has the Amaze and the City petrol autos which are again, light and easy to drive.

Good to see you enjoying the cheapest 'value for BHP' car. Even I think they are undervalued in the used car market. Anyone thinking of a C segment sedan can easily get a pre-owned Cruze without much variation in the budget. If at all there is a change in the price, in all likelihood it will be for the good. The savings can be used for the upfront maintenance (if any) and garage visit for fluid top ups and all.

I saw that the maintenance cost of Cruze is slightly higher than that of a C seg sedan and the FE too suffers. Of course there is more power on tap.

Although the maintenance cost are more in line with a car that costs 15+, do you think the (possible) savings, a car from a segment higher, the comfort, and the power justify the dip in FE and higher maintenance cost for someone in the market for a new C-seg car?

Also, what is your take on aging for a New C-seg vs a 3 yr old Cruze?
In terms of aging, what do you think can be owned for a longer duration with minimal complaints, a new C-seg car or a 3-4 yr old Cruze?

Congrats, Frank! I am also a proud owner of a 3 1/2 year old 50k LT. Extremely satisfied with it and only fly in the ointment is the stick shift. If only I could plug and play the automatic into my own car.....

By the way, do update on your tyre experience. The Assurance series has received generally good reviews from other car owners. How do they handle the power and weight of the Cruze?

Last edited by itwasntme : 22nd October 2014 at 06:46.
Reason: Extra Q

Congrats Frank! You got yourself a diesel rocket which can embarass several cars up the ladder. I fully agree with choice of AT in diesels. I fail to understand why people buy manual diesels (unless constraint is financial). Diesel cars have hard clutches inherently. If not hard when new, within 1 year they get very hard. But irony is we have more petrol ATs in India than diesel.

Congrats Frank!
It's not unusual to see the choice to this diesel rocket from somebody who've owned a civic earlier! It's definitely hard for any civic owner to go back to a hatch, or for that matter a new entry level sedans as well (no offense to anyone intended)

I definitely see myself doing the same too in some time since there are a lot of great deals available in the market!

would surely be hooked on to your thread again for your ownership reviews. Happy Rocket'ing and be safe! Congrats again!

I got my Civic AT looking at your previous workhorse thread when I had actually sold my old Ritz VDi for a used Cruze (2010 May - 8.25L). Your thread made me change my mind off the Cruze to the Civic as the latter suddenly seemed more VFM. But now that I have read this thread, I am not sure how long I will last before selling the Civic AT & getting a Cruze AT

Congrats on the acquisition of this beautiful motor! Fantastic write up there... The Chevy Cruze surely has the ability to make you fall in love with her and I too was infatuated with her for quite a while before I ended up buying a F30 320d M Sport.

I'd like to know your long term experience with the DieselTRONIC box since you're using it from quite a while... Any issues? My 3er has a M Performance Power Kit ECU which reportedly churns out a pinch over 200 bhp but I'm planning to bump this up further so thinking of adding either a RaceChip, DieselTRONIC or get a custom remap. The latter sounds like a risky affair but heard from some people that piggybacks can have negative effect on the engine in the long run.